Barrow-in-Furness

Barrow-in-Furness' population decreased by about 2,900 between the last two censuses. This semi-automated article highlights some of the key changes among the local population.

The population decreased

In the decade to 2011, the population of Barrow-in-Furness fell by 4.0%, from just under 72,000 to 69,100.

The loss of almost 3,000 people means this area's population was the most rapidly-declining in the North West and was the most rapidly-declining across England.

In 2011, Barrow-in-Furness was home to, on average, 6.3 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across the North West

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the North West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Barrow-in-Furness

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Barrow-in-Furness increased by three years, from 39 to 42 years.

This area had a higher average age than the North West and remained somewhat older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just under 1,400 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by almost 3,000.

About 13.0% of people in Barrow-in-Furness are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Barrow-in-Furness by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

More people living alone

Barrow-in-Furness saw England's second-largest rise in the proportion of one-person households.

In 2011, just over one in three (34.6%) households in Barrow-in-Furness had only one person, compared with 29.9% in 2001. The percentage of households comprising an unmarried couple increased from 9.1% to 9.7%.

England's largest increase in the proportion of one-person households occurred in Isles of Scilly (from 27.2% to 34.0%).

Because of its small size, comparisons to Isles of Scilly should be made with caution.

The percentage of households with only one person was higher than across the North West

Percentage of households that comprised only one person across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Fewer people worked short hours

Barrow-in-Furness saw England's largest fall in the proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week.

In 2011, just over 1 in 14 (7.2%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Barrow-in-Furness said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 8.7% in 2001. The percentage that worked over 49 hours in a week decreased from 1.7% to 1.5%.

Welwyn Hatfield saw England's next largest rise in the proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week (from 6.6% to 8.0%).

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week in Barrow-in-Furness decreased by 1.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Barrow-in-Furness, the North West and England that said they had worked less than 16 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Barrow-in-Furness

Barrow-in-Furness saw the North West's largest fall in the proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability.

In 2011, just under 1 in 15 (6.6%) in Barrow-in-Furness reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities, compared with 7.4% in 2001. The percentage who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 4.7% to 5.3%.

Across the region, Salford saw the next largest decrease in the proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability (from 6.4% in 2001 to 5.7% in 2011).

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across the North West

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

More adults are separated from partners

Barrow-in-Furness saw the North West's third-largest rise in the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner.

In 2011, just over one in eight (13.3%) people aged 16 and over in Barrow-in-Furness said they had divorced or broken up with a married or civil partner, compared with 11.4% in 2001. The percentage that said they were married decreased from 52.8% to 46.9%.

Across the region, only Fylde (from 10.8% to 12.8%) and Ribble Valley (from 9.3% to 11.2%) saw a greater increase in the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner.

During this period, Barrow-in-Furness overtook seven local authority areas, including Rochdale and Pendle, to become the North West local authority area with the sixth-highest percentage of people who had divorced or separated.

The proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner was higher than across the North West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they had divorced or broken up with a married or civil partner across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Barrow-in-Furness

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, the largest percentage point increase in Barrow-in-Furness was among those who said they had no religion, rising 11.3 points.

In 2011, 22.1% of respondents in Barrow-in-Furness gave this answer to the question on religion, compared with 10.8% of those who answered in 2001.

Across the North West, the percentage of people who answered the question on religion that described themselves as having no religion increased from 10.5% to 19.8%, while across England the percentage went from 14.5% to 24.6%.

Of those who disclosed their religion in Barrow-in-Furness, 70.7% said they were Christian, compared with 81.0% in 2001. About 0.0% said they were Sikh, compared with 0.0% 10 years prior.

The percentage of people who disclosed a religious affiliation and did not state their religion decreased from 7.6% to 6.4%.

In Barrow-in-Furness, 6.4% chose not to answer the question on religious affiliation, compared with 7.6% in 2001. In North West, 6.2% did not answer the voluntary question, compared with 7.7% in 2001. Across England, 7.2% of people did not answer, compared with 7.7% in 2001.

the population without a religion in Barrow-in-Furness increased by 11 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents who answered the voluntary question on religion in England, North West and Barrow-in-Furness by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Barrow-in-Furness residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 13.3% to 8.4% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (75.9%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 63.1% in 2001. The percentage of Barrow-in-Furness residents that described their health as fair decreased from 23.6% to 15.8%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 11.0% in 2001 to 6.8% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Barrow-in-Furness decreased by 4.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Barrow-in-Furness, the North West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Barrow-in-Furness, but at a slower rate than across the North West.

In Barrow-in-Furness, the proportion of private renting increased from 9.5% in 2001 to 14.2% in 2011. During the same period, the regional proportion increased from 8.5% to 15.4%.

Across the North West, the share of privately rented homes increased from 8.5% to 15.4%.

The rate of social housing in Barrow-in-Furness fell from 12.2% to 11.1%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 76.3% to 73.5%.

Private renting in Barrow-in-Furness increased by 4.7 percentage points

Percentage of households in Barrow-in-Furness, the North West and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of employment

The percentage of employed people increased in Barrow-in-Furness at a faster rate than in Redcar and Cleveland (one of the most statistically similar areas to Barrow-in-Furness based on ONS area classifications).

In Barrow-in-Furness, the proportion of employed people increased from 49.6% in 2001 to 53.2% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in statistically similar Redcar and Cleveland increased from 47.9% to 49.1%.

Across the North West, the share of employed people increased from 50.6% to 51.4%.

The rate of unemployment in Barrow-in-Furness increased from 4.2% to 4.6%, while the rate of self-employment increased from 5.2% to 6.2%.

The rate of employment was higher than across the North West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that said they were employed across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

More homes without children

The percentage of households without children increased in Barrow-in-Furness at a faster rate than across England.

In Barrow-in-Furness, the proportion of households without children increased from 60.0% in 2001 to 63.1% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion across England increased from 61.1% to 61.2%.

Across the North West, the share of households without children increased from 59.3% to 60.8%.

The proportion of households with children in Barrow-in-Furness fell from 30.1% to 27.0%, while the proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents remained close to 9.9%.

The proportion of households without children was higher than across the North West

Percentage of households without children across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Ethnicity in Barrow-in-Furness

In 2011, 98.3% of Barrow-in-Furness residents said they were from one of the White ethnic groups, making it the most common ethnicity in this local authority area. The population from these groups has increased from 99.2% in 2001.

Across the North West, the percentage of people from one of the White ethnic groups fell from 94.4% to 90.2%, while across England the percentage went from 90.7% to 85.1%.

Around 0.9% of people in Barrow-in-Furness said they were from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups, compared with 0.4% in 2001. About 0.5% said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), compared with 0.3% 10 years prior.

The percentage of people who said they were from the Other ethnic groups (Arab or any other ethnic group) increased from 0.1% to 0.1%.

the population from one of the White ethnic groups in Barrow-in-Furness remained close to 98.3%

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Barrow-in-Furness by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Change in unpaid care

The percentage of Barrow-in-Furness residents that provided between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 1.7% to 1.9% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

The percentage who reported providing at least 50 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 3.0%.

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 1.3% in 2001 to 1.6% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 1.1% to 1.4%.

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care in Barrow-in-Furness remained close to 1.9%

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Barrow-in-Furness by care, March 2001 and March 2011

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